Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024
Bible Reading: Matthew 18: 15-17
Memory Verse: See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God, that no bitter root spring up and cause trouble, through which many may become defiled. Hebrews 12:15 (NAB)
Permit me to use this excerpt from a post I came across to describe this ancient trick of the devil: “I know she left Church about eighteen years ago but I didn’t know why. All efforts to reach her failed. I went to her house one evening and the house help came out to tell me she was not around. But I was hearing her voice. Since then, I didn’t hear from her. Recently, she came back and stood by the altar to share her story. According to her, eighteen years ago, her son was just about a year old. They came to Church that faithful Sunday morning and her son started to cry in Church and the next thing she heard from the Pastor was, ‘Take that baby outside.’ That was it! She said she was very angry. She got up from where she was seated at the back, with her child clutched to her chest, hissed and walked out. She never came back. She started attending another Church. She said as the boy grew, he became very unruly and strange. From Junior School 3, he went into drugs. He left the house when he was about to write his WASSCE/GCSE. Every effort to rehabilitate him failed. She said, one day she was asking God where everything went wrong and the Holy Spirit began to bring her down the memory lane. The Holy Spirit said, ‘Do you remember the day you walked out of a service because you were told to take your child out. Your child was disturbing a whole service and you didn’t see anything wrong in that, instead, you hissed and walked out in anger and left. You know the Pastor did not see you neither did he hear that you hissed, but I heard. Now go back to the same Church and your son will be restored.’ She said, I have come back fully to the house. The second Sunday I came, by the time I got back to the house, my son was at the gate looking unkempt but sober. I was scared. I called my younger brother in case he tried to attack me. He prostrated, asking me to forgive him. I couldn’t believe it. He has since been taken to a rehab for proper treatment.
Lessons:
- There are people and places you must remain connected to, else, you could allow the devil use you to destroy your own destiny. Don’t allow the devil disconnect you from the flow of grace needed to power your destiny, marriage, family or ministry using offence.
- Be wary of offences. Never become offended with anyone, most especially people, such as your pastor and parents, who have a measure of spiritual authority over you. Whether they are right or wrong, you just honour the grace they carry even on days/issues when their personality speaks otherwise.
- All that is needed for your restoration may just be rooted in repentance. All your destiny is waiting for may just be an obedience to a divine instruction. Prayers, fasting, prophetic seed offerings are good sacrifices provided they aren’t substitutes to your total obedience to God. To obey is always better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).
Quote: Offence is an event but to remain offended is a decision.
Prophetic Decree: Receive grace to live an offence free life, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus - O Lord, please help me to be sensitive to the manipulation of the spirit of pride, in Jesus name.
- O Lord, please help me to be sensitive to the manipulation of the spirit of anger and pride, powered by self, in Jesus name.
- Close to my breakthrough, the spirit of offence shall not overwhelm me, in Jesus name.
- I receive grace to die to the voice of self, in Jesus name.
- I receive grace to die to the voice of offence, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 31-34